Fat Return After Liposuction????

 Question:

From a trainer’s perspective, what impact would liposuction have on a training program? I’ve got a 30-year-old female client who recently had liposuction off of her glutes and thighs (eight months before we started training). The fat has come back. She mentioned to me that she is now thinking of getting some more “sucked off” in eight weeks (we’ve only worked together a few times), since it has come back unevenly. In addition, I’m working to convince her to invest the money in PT and improve her overall quality of life, rather than pay a doctor $5K and still be unhappy. What are your thoughts?

Answer:

This is a common situation that some practitioners, including myself, run into on a regular basis. There are many reasons why females accumulate fat in those areas, why humans accumulate fat in general, why the fat comes back after liposuction and why most people and MDs overlook the mental/emotional aspects that are attached to the accumulation of fat in specific areas. I am going to do my best to keep it short and sweet, but that is not in my nature. After reading this, if you have any further questions, feel free to email me.

Why do humans accumulate fat in general? This is quite simple and most of the time overlooked by all. If you look at the diets and lifestyles of many Americans, you will see some common threads that lead to fat accumulation:

1. Overabundance of trans fats
2. Overabundance of refined/processed foods
3. Overabundance of alcohol
4. Overabundance of pasteurized milk
5. Over exposure to the many faces of stress (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, chemical, EMF, environment, etc.)

This all equates to an overabundance of toxins that Americans are ingesting and being exposed to on a daily basis. When it comes down to it, fat stores toxins. So, the poorer her nutrition and lifestyle habits are, the more fat she is going to accumulate.

There are two easy explanations/examples you can use to get the point across to your client. The first point is to educate her about the Law of Cause and Effect. It is simple: for everything she does in her life, there will be a cause or result. It is not by chance things happen to us; it is by choice! So with the liposuction, she is only treating the result or in this case the symptom of a major issue being smoke screened by the liposuction. Americans today are extremely lazy and unhealthy, not wanting to take responsibility for themselves. This is a prime example. The other example you can use is how they feed and breed cows before they slaughter them. The biggest (fattest) cow wins, and the breeder gets the most money. So what do conventional farmers do? They feed cows everything and anything (feces, dead animals, saw dust, cement dust, blood, plastic, etc). Why do they do this? Because fat stores toxins!

There are many other factors involved in gaining weight/fat when consistently working out. As a C.H.E.K Practitioner, I use many physical, neurological, nutritional, physiological and lifestyle assessments to get to the root of clients’ dysfunctions. Here are some areas you should look into yourself, or you could refer your client out in order to keep this dreaded fat away.

1. Hormonal imbalances (any drop or increase in estrogen/progesterone will cause a spike in cortisol=fat storing hormone)
2. Gut dysfunction (permeability, parasites, H. Pylori, hypochlorhydria to name a few). This leads to increased internal stress, increased cortisol levels, altered gland function and so on. The end result is weight gain.
3. Endocrine gland dysfunction (adrenals and thyroid, which correlate with one another). The adrenal glands are used under any time of sympathetic stress. If a person is always stressed (most of the time internally), cortisol will continually be released. Once again, cortisol is a fat-storing hormone.
4. Visceral dysfunction (uterus, ovaries, kidney/bladder, liver/GB, etc inflammation or inhibition).
5. To take it even to a deeper level, fat in this area correlates with the Root (1st) Chakra or the adrenal glands (stress hormone glands that produce cortisol). This pertains to getting your physical needs met, being safe, secure and grounded and establishing your “I”dentity between the ages 0-7 years old. The real issue could be that she is a child running around in an adult’s body, afraid to come out secondary to never getting her needs met. Why is she getting all this cosmetic surgery? Is it to please her inner being? NO! It is to please the EGO, as well as societies idea of what a woman her age should look like. The mental, emotional and spiritual bodies are manifested in the physical body. So if you think along those lines, she needs more than just nutrition and exercise.

What should you do at this point?

1. I would find a skilled C.H.E.K Practitioner in your area to team up with in order to educate her. As well, have her purchase Paul Chek’s book How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy! This includes a lot of the information I’ve talked about as well as what you need to talk with her about.
2. You can work with Dr. Kalish at www.naturalpath.com to do some hormonal and gut testing through Bio Health. This could give you some answers on why she continues to attract unwanted fat. Dysfunctions within the hormonal and endocrine systems are often the reason why people can’t either lose weight or continue to gain no matter what they do.
3. Do some research on www.mercola.com and look into holistic ways of eating and living.
4. Use Paul’s book, a C.H.E.K Practitioner or Intermediate Metabolic Typing Advisor to find out her Metabolic Type. This will figure out exactly what types of foods and the ratios of foods her body needs to use for energy and not store as fat.
5. Teach her or refer her to a Qi Gong or C.H.E.K Practitioner so she can learn ways to detoxify and relieve certain internal stressors that are occuring. This is common, but because humans can’t feel it, they think they are healthy. Stress and increased cortisol levels that never come down cause weight gain.

Good luck!

Joshua Rubin

www.eastwesthealing.com

The Science Behind Adipose Tissue

 Question:

I know that we cannot spot target areas of fat tissue from the body (e.g., if my client wishes to reduce the amount of fat from waist and hips, it doesn’t work – the whole body will change shape and not just the area in question). My question is why? What is the science behind the use of fatty acids and, more specifically, the origin from within the adipose tissue?

Answer:
 
This is a common situation that some practitioners, including myself, run into on a regular basis. There are many reasons why humans accumulate fat in those areas, why humans accumulate fat in general, why after liposuction the fat comes back and why most people and MDs overlook the mental/emotional aspects that are attached to the accumulation of fat in specific areas. I am going to do my best to keep it short and sweet. After reading this, if you have any further questions, feel free to email me.

Why do humans accumulate fat in general? This is quite simple and, most of the time, overlooked by all. If you look at the diet and lifestyle of many Americans, you will see some common threads that lead to fat accumulation:

1. Overabundance of trans fats
2. Overabundance of refined/processed foods
3. Overabundance of alcohol
4. Overabundance of pasteurized milk
5. Over exposure to the many faces of stress (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, chemical, EMF, environment, etc.)
6. This all equates to an overabundance of toxins that Americans are ingesting and being exposed to on a daily basis.

When it comes down to it, fat stores toxins. So, the poorer someone’s nutrition and lifestyle habits are, the more fat they are going to accumulate.

There is an easy explanation/example you can use to get the point across to your client. The first point is to educate her about the Law of Cause and Effect. For everything she does in her life, there will be a cause or result. It is not by chance things happen to us; it is by choice! People living in developed countries today are extremely lazy and unhealthy; they don’t want to take responsibility for themselves. The other example you can use is how they feed and breed cows before they slaughter them. The biggest (fattest) cow wins, and the breeder gets the most money. So what do conventional farmer do? They feed cows everything and anything (feces, dead animals, saw dust, cement dust, blood, plastic, etc). Why do they do this? Because fat stores toxins!

There are many other factors involved in gaining weight/fat when consistently working out. As a CHEK Practitioner, I use many physical, neurological, nutritional, physiological and lifestyle assessments to get to the root of a client’s dysfunctions. Here are some areas you should look into yourself (or refer her out to explore further) in order to keep this dreaded fat away.

1. Hormonal imbalances (any drop or increase in estrogen/progesterone will cause a spike in cortisol=fat storing hormone).
2. Gut dysfunction (permeability, parasites, H. Pylori, hypochlorhydria to name a few). This leads to increased internal stress, increased cortisol levels, altered gland function and so on. The end result is weight gain.
3. Endocrine gland dysfunction (adrenals and thyroid, which correlate with one another). The adrenal glands are used under any time of sympathetic stress. If a person is always stressed (most of the time internally), cortisol will continually be released. Once again, cortisol is a fat storing hormone.
4. Visceral dysfunction (uterus, ovaries, kidney/bladder, liver/GB, etc inflammation or inhibition).
5. Even the most casual observer will note that everyone does not carry their adipose tissue in the same anatomical locations. Adipose tissue that is located predominantly on the upper body has been termed “apple” distribution. This distribution pattern is found more frequently in men. When adipose tissue accumulates predominantly in the lower body, the term “pear” distribution is used. “Pear shape” is found more frequently in women than in men. This is another subject in itself.

Adipose tissue is specialized connective tissue that functions as the major storage site for fat in the form of triglycerides. Adipose tissue serves three functions: as heat insulation, mechanical cushion and, most importantly, a source of energy. Subcutaneous adipose tissue, found directly below the skin, is an especially important heat insulator in the body. Adipose tissue also surrounds internal organs and provides some protection for these organs from jarring.

Lipogenesis is the deposition of fat. This process occurs in adipose tissue and in the liver. Energy ingested as fat beyond that needed for current energy demands is stored in adipose tissue. In addition, carbohydrate and protein consumed in the diet can be converted to fat, so it is equivalent to taking in more than you can burn off. Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, also plays a predominant role in the lipogenic process. The net effect of insulin is to enhance storage and block mobilization and oxidation of fatty acids. Lipolysis is the chemical decomposition and release of fat from adipose tissue. This process predominates over lipogenesis when additional energy is required.  
 
Hopefully I have helped you. Good luck!

Joshua Rubin

www.eastwesthealing.com

Sjogren’s Syndrome

 Question:

I have a client with Sjogens Disease, which I am told is a condition that reduces the immune system. It also dries out the joints. Have you heard of it, and if so, what do you suggest I should do or more importantly avoid? I do try to increase her warm-up length in an attempt to release more sinovial fluid. Also, she recently had a bursa on her hip and has been advised to avoid cycling (stationary bikes, etc..).

Answer:

Sjogren’s syndrome classically features a combination of dry eyes, dry mouth and another disease of the connective tissues, most commonly rheumatoid arthritis. It is an autoimmune disease, characterized by the abnormal production of extra antibodies in the blood that are directed against various tissues of the body. This particular autoimmune illness is caused by inflammation in the glands of the body. Inflammation of the glands that produce tears (lacrimal glands) leads to decreased water production for tears and eye dryness. Inflammation of the glands that produce the saliva in the mouth (salivary glands, including the parotid glands) leads to mouth dryness.

Sjogren’s syndrome that involves the gland inflammation (resulting in dryness of the eyes and mouth, etc.), but not associated with a connective tissue disease, is referred to as primary Sjogren’s syndrome. Secondary Sjogren’s syndrome involves not only gland inflammation, but it is associated with a connective tissue disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma.

Wow, so what do you do with a big one like this? Well, it is pretty simple. You are not here to cure but to assist with the healing process. You are not here to tell your clients what to do but to teach them and educate them on “how to do.” Keep that in mind when beginning this wonderful journey with - not for - your client.

My first recommendation would be to start simple and then work to complex, kind of like peeling an onion away one layer at a time. If you go for the center right from the get go, you can’t handle it and you will tear up. Educate your client that this will be a lifestyle change and a process over the next year in order to get her closer to homeostasis. Once you have established this base, then you can begin with some basic nutrition and lifestyle principles.

When someone has an autoimmune disease, it is almost as if “self is fighting self.” This has been going on for some time now, but the person has been so numb to themselves and reality that they just did not recognize the signs. That’s why this is a year-long process. Anytime there is inflammation, there is excess heat in the body that can cause inhibition of organ function and muscular function (visceral-visceral, visceral-somatic, somatic-visceral, somatic-somatic). This can cause many other problems within the body and can be dealt with down the line with some more advanced tools (CHEK NLC 3, Naturopath, Healers, Acupuncturist, etc). When you have inflammation in the body, there is a sympathetic (stress) response that occurs. Certain stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) are released, and other hormones are inhibited. We are meant to handle stress but not 24 hours a day from 20 different directions. When this becomes too much for the body to handle, dysfunctions and diseases start to occur. In the long run, we have an autoimmune response secondary to the overload secondary to the body seeing everything as its enemy.

These hormones are catabolic, or they break down tissue. With a client like this, the goal is to get her more into a Parasympathetic (relaxed) state internally and externally in order to assist with the five alarm fire that is going off inside. Getting her more into a Parasympathetic state will assist with repair and regeneration. There are many ways to do this and many tools you can use. I will give you some recommendations you can try, but at the same time, if you are in doubt, refer out!

The goal here is stress reduction, and stress can come from many different directions. If you read some of my other Research Corner Q&As, you can learn more about stress.

1. The first thing you would want to do is assess her. At this time, exercise is not and will not be the answer. So doing a lengthy and comprehensive assessment at this time in order to develop a high performance conditioning program will just make things worse. You want to assess her nutrition and lifestyle principles such as:
   • sleep
   • water intake
   • food diary (is she eating organic, for her MT, staying away from processed foods, etc)
   • what is her digestion like?
   • what organs are working overtime and which ones are deficient?
   • what are her signs and symptoms, when does she feel the best/worst?
   • is she on any meds?
   • what are her daily stressors of the past, present and future?
2. If you don’t have the forms or ability to do this, find a CHEK NLC Practitioner in your area and refer your client to him/her.
3. Make sure she is eating enough fat and taking some form of Omega-3 supplement. These can do many things for the nervous system and endocrine system and help produce hormones that are essential for immune system development/support.
4. Perform a toxic home and office checklist to find out where other stressors are coming from (hygiene products, cleaning products, computer, soap, etc).
5. Is she on the pill? This can have a profound effect on the body’s hormones, and it can do much more to someone with an autoimmune disease. I would educate yourself on that topic and then educate her so she can come to her own conclusions.
6. Have her purchase the book How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek to learn more on the above. As well, visit www.mercola.com to use his search engine to learn more about anything and everything.

There is not one specific silver bullet approach when working with someone with this type of syndrome. Assess your client, find the most important areas that need to be established in her life and prioritize them. The main goal is to reduce her sympathetic overload. If done correctly, all the above will do just that.

Another way you can educate her is by using aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I use visceral massage, cupping and Qi Gong with clients that are willing in order to assist with the healing process. This syndrome is one that effects most of the fluids in the body (tears, glands, blood, etc), which are the carriers for Qi or “life force.” So if you have fluid or blood issues, Qi will have a hard time reaching organ systems within the body, so they become deficient in life force.

The fluids in the body are regulated by the Kidney/Bladder complex. Not to get to technical here, but if you follow the TCM Elemental System of Creation, you can work on the prior organ complex to speed up a deficient one. So with this syndrome, the Kidney/Bladder complex is deficient. You would work on the Lung/Large Intestine complex to provide more energy to the Kidney/Bladder complex, since it is the element that precedes it (refer to Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine Vol 1 for more info and a simple explanation of the elements/organs). Somewhat of a jumpstart to them. This can be done with nutrition, lifestyle principles, herbs, as well as Qi Gong. There are certain movements, sounds, colors, etc. that go along with the Lung/Large Intestine complex. Below are a couple of pics to demonstrate the movements. I would also check out www.pacifichealingarts.com and purchase some of the Qi Gong DVDs by Lee Holden. Exercise takes up energy and causes sympathetic stress, where Qi Gong cultivates energy, Qi or life force, which your client lacks. Good luck and feel free to email with any other questions.

Joshua Rubin

www.eastwesthealing.com

Colostrum

 Question:

A client has been advised to use cow’s colostrum in their diet. Do you have any information on this?

Answer:

That is a great question, and I have some questions for you:

1. Who has the client been advised by?
2. What is their background?
3. Is  it an essential part of your client’s healing program at this time?

There are more questions, and the reason I am doing this is to spark some thought into your brain. Start to prioritize your client’s program, so you have a plan. Assess, individualize and think for yourself and your client. This will lead to a great recipe of success. There is so much out there about this and that, but the bottom line is, it is all up to you. Besides this response, do some of your own research on the web and by reading books. I can tell you there is a lot of information out there on colostrum. It is up to you to take this information and turn it into knowledge by educating your clients on the pros and cons. From there, it is basically up to the client. We make recommendations, not decisions for our clients.

I am going to give you the base of what cow colostrum is, its importance and when you would use it.

Colostrum is the first milk produced by the breasts during late pregnancy and for a few days after childbirth. It provides a nursing infant with essential nutrients and infection-fighting antibodies, and it assists in helping the child pass early stools (aids in excretion of bilirubin and helps prevent jaundice). Breastfeeding and the importance of it is another entire topic of its own.

The colostrum sold in the store comes from cows or sheep. It is difficult to find, but you can generally buy it at any health food store. As well, you can purchase it online at www.mercola.com. Be careful because a lot of the product in the store is pasteurized, homogenized and not organic. This defeats the entire purpose of taking it. So make sure you purchase raw colostrums.

Your colostrum provides not only perfect nutrition tailored to the needs of your newborn but also large amounts of living cells which will defend your baby against many harmful agents. The concentration of immune factors is much higher in colostrum than in mature milk. Colostrum is also beneficial for GI Dysfunctions (leaky gut, dysbiosis, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, etc). It contains a high concentrate of leukocytes, which are protective white cells that destroy disease causing bacteria and viruses. Colostrum also strengthens the immune system and provides essential nutrients such as B12.

So the bottom line is, yes it is a beneficial part of a client’s “healing” program. It all depends on what is going on with your client and what you got out of their assessments. If you are just saying to yourself that it sounds good for them and you have not done any Nutrition and Lifestyle Assessments, than you are just guessing! Leading a holistic lifestyle and following some basic principles are just as important as the colostrum. Here are a few, as per Paul Chek:

1. If it is white, do not eat it! The four white devils are white flour, white sugar, white salt (see #9) and pasteurization and homogenization milk products. If you must use a dairy product and cannot acquire raw dairy, choose Certified Organic as your second choice. Additionally, those who are lactose sensitive should use full-fat cream, which is very low in lactose and high in fat. Additionally, you can enjoy a high quality yogurt, in which lactose is predigested.
2. Avoid any food made from any of the white devils!
3. If you can’t pronounce a word on a label, do not eat it. Your liver won’t like it!
4. If it wasn’t here 10,000 years ago, don’t eat it!
5. Fruit juice is sugar water! Don’t drink it. Small quantities of freshly squeezed juice may be ok as an occasional treat.
6. The longer the shelf life, the more harmful it is likely to be to your body!
7. If irradiated, don’t eat it!
8. If pasteurized, it’s not good for you. Ultra-pasteurized is very bad for you!
9. Unless packaged in glass, the longer it’s been in the package, the more toxic it will be! Plastics can leak what is called xenoestrogens, which are harmful to the body. They can increase estrogen levels in females and put their hormonal systems into a state of disarray.
10. Aside from good water, if you are eating a food that is clear, disease grows near! For example, clear apple juice, clear honey and clear hydrogenated oils are all garbage foods to be avoided.
11. Choose products and meats in this order:
    • Certified Organic Produce and Free Range Meats 
    • Organic Produce and Organic Meat
    • Locally Farmed Produce and Locally Farmed Free Ranged Meat
    • Commercial Produce and Commercial Hormone Free Meat
    • Commercial Meat
12. Always season foods and water with 100% unprocessed sea salt. The best is Celtic, followed by sea salt from New Zealand because there is less heavy metal toxicity there.
13. Drink half your body weight in pounds in ounces of water daily. For example, a 200 pound man needs to drink 100 ounces. Nothing substitutes for water, not tea, not juice, not beer… nothing! Always choose top selling brands such as Evian, Fiji, Trinity and Volvic because they sell the fastest and therefore have the least exposure to plastic bottles.
14. Buy water in glass if possible.
15. The most health-giving waters have a hardness factor of 170 mg/L or greater and a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of 300 or greater. Adding a pinch of sea salt to water is recommended to replace electrolytes. Additionally, it will harden otherwise good but soft waters and will significantly increase the TDS.
16. Follow the 80/20 Rule. If you live right 80% of the time, you can absorb the other 20%.
17. Always eat right for your metabolic type.
18. Get to bed by 10pm and sleep until 6am minimum.
19. The body (physical) repairs itself from 10pm to 2pm.
20. The mind (spiritual and emotional) repairs itself from 2pm to 6am.

Joshua Rubin

www.eastwesthealing.com

GERD Q&A By Paul Chek

 Question:

I have a client who suffers from gastroesophageal reflux. She is on medication (antacids) for this problem but sees little result. She suffers hoarseness, extreme burning sensations and bloat and has lost interest in food to a great degree. Has metabolic typing shown any marked improvement in this specific complaint? She has been warned off large, high fat meals (but this may conflict with her type). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:

Gastroesophageal reflux (GSR), commonly treated with antacids, is sadly seldom due to hyperacidity. In my clinical practice, I’ve only seen a handful of cases with true hyperacidity, which can be confirmed with a Heidelberg capsule test. This test measures stomach pH and informs the physician of the actual functional status of the stomach. A simple at home test I’ve found very useful to determine the functional capacity of the stomach to produce acid is to simply squeeze half a lemon into a cup and drink a third at the beginning, another third in the middle and the final third of the lemon juice toward the end of the meal. If this aids digestion and reduces GSR symptoms, it indicates hypo-acidity, which is very common today. If this helps, going to a good naturopathic physician or a good health food store to acquire a broad spectrum digestive enzyme with hydrochloric acid (HCL) (some also include Ox bile, which is helpful) and following the naturopathic physician’s dose advice will probably end the problem!

In addition, if your client is constipated, GSR is unlikely to be alleviated until the constipation is addressed. It is common for the body to get backed up from anus to stomach, and the food literally piles up, making it very challenging to digest. I’ve seen this a number of times as well. Any CHEK HLC Practitioner can assist your client in normalizing bowel rhythm and function. The client should start by drinking half her body weight in ounces of water or take her weight in Kgs and multiply it by .033 to get liters of water for daily consumption. Other helpful tips are:

• Follow a four day rotation diet. If you don’t have access to one, you can find one in my book How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy!, complete with instructions on how to use it.
• Metabolic typing will help normalize pH in several body compartments as well, not to mention encouraging variety in one’s diet.
• Choosing one or more forms of chi cultivation exercise and adopting a daily practice can go a LONG way to aiding in normalizing organ system functions, particularly since stress is a major cause of GSR and all related gastrointestinal dysfunctions.

I hope you find this information useful.

Joshua Rubin

www.eastwesthealing.com